


Betrayed by the Heart Monitor

by wh33zy



Series: Of Tigers and Bunnies [7]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Hospitals, Injury, Kissing, M/M, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 18:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19362007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wh33zy/pseuds/wh33zy
Summary: Barnaby is injured on the job and is in the hospital. Kotetsu is with him and refuses to go home. It's 1AM, so that's the perfect time for confessions (obviously)!





	Betrayed by the Heart Monitor

**Author's Note:**

> soooooooooo I like flipping shit around and I don't see much about Barnaby being in the hospital so i was like: WHY NOT!?

Barnaby quietly groaned awake. His leg  _ hurt,  _ which meant the pain meds were wearing off. The clean and antiseptic smell hit his nose, the realization that it was cold in here making his skin gooseprickle. His mouth and throat felt dry...did he sleep with his mouth open again? His eyes, suddenly meet the dark ceiling, the light above him turned off. The curtains to the windows weren’t drawn closed, the city lights falling on almost everything in the room. 

They made Kotetsu’s hair shine, highlighting dark strands that graced folded arms on the bed’s railing. Amber eyes that the city would make glow only if they were open right now. His back raised and lowered rhythmically in peace. Yet, the parts of his face that weren’t covered by the long fringe or buried in his usual collared shirt still looked washed out. He was tired. He had  _ been  _ tired. 

...He didn’t go home?

Barnaby awkwardly pulled himself into a sitting position, trying not to upset his right leg any more. He’s pretty sure that this is the  _ last  _ time he jumps into action without his suit on. He could only do so much against landing a little wrong and a stray bullet right as his powers ran out. He hisses slightly, but he’s able to sit up. He presses one of the controls on the inside of the bed, making the top half rise to make it easier on him.

All the movement is enough to cause his partner to stir, a sigh, and eyes slowly fluttering open. The older man leans back, hands coming up to rub the sleep from his face. “What time is it?” He mumbles. 

“Kotetsu?” 

Kotetsu’s face brightens when he sees the blonde. “Hey, how are you feeling?” 

“Better, actually. Still hurts though.” 

His face drops a little, “Let me call the nurse so she can give you more pain meds.” He reaches for the remote hanging over the railing- 

“Kotetsu, why don’t you go home?” He asks which makes his partner briefly stop. “You don’t have to stay here, I’m  _ fine.”  _

The brunette shook his head. “I’m okay right here. I don’t mind.” He presses the nurse call-button before sliding the remote back over the railing. 

“You’re exhausted.” 

“I could say the same thing about you!” 

“I have a bed that I can sleep in!” The younger man says in exasperation. “You don’t! Go home!” 

“No! You’re my partner and I’m staying here with you. I already said that I don’t mind!” He says firmly. _“That’s._ _Final.”_

There are a couple sharp knocks at the door before it opens, the nurse walking in with a tired smile. He asks what they need and Barnaby sends him on his way when he’s leg begins to throb. It was also so that he could quickly get back to convincing this drained old man to actually take care of himself for once _.  _ Green eyes briefly glance at the clock; it’s one in the morning.

“My leg is fine now.  _ I’m _ fine now. They’ll probably discharge me later this morning.” 

With a knowing smile, “Good thing I’ll already be here to help you get home, huh?” 

“It’s one in the morning-” 

“Well, would ya look at that?” 

Barnaby frowns slightly at the sarcasm. “Look, Kotetsu, I appreciate-” 

“I feel like if I leave the hospital without you, you’ll die.” The widow suddenly confesses, the look on his face showing how even he thought that was ridiculous. “Please, let me stay, Bunny.” He asks quieter, some desperation in his voice, as if he’d beg on his hands and knees if he was refused again.  

The younger hero suddenly feels like an insensitive idiot upon remembering Tomoe. The tragedy... He couldn’t imagine what he would do if he left Kotetsu in the hospital, only to come back and find him gone without so much as a goodbye. His heart breaks just thinking about it. 

So, if he were his partner right now, he’d want to stay the entire time too. 

“I’m just...I-”

The door creaks open again, the same nurse but with a syringe filled with some clear liquid in a tray. He seats it on the bed before going back to the door to grab a couple gloves from the shelf nearby. He slides them on and doesn’t seem to feel the need to break the heavy silence. Just content with the heart monitor beeping and the sounds of him moving around.

The syringe is thrown away along with gloves. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Is asked.

Barnaby shakes his head. “No thank you.” He just wanted him  _ to leave.  _

“Okay, goodnight.” Is whispered and the door is softly clicked closed.

“I’m sorry,” Kotetsu says quietly, looking down at his lap. “I’m not saying that you’re the same as my wife I...I only feel this way about people that I, uh…” He suddenly chuckles awkwardly, it almost sounds bitter and embarrassed. He suddenly stands up. “I’ll go get you some water from the vending machines, don’t mind the ramblings of-” 

“Kotetsu.” The blonde says firmly this time, his heart monitor picking up ever so slightly. “Please finish what you were going to say.” 

The older hero almost gulped at that as he looked into his partner’s eyes that seemed...hopeful? As if his ears were desperately straining to hear every word, every huff of breath-

“...I only feel this way about people that I..  _ love.”  _

“How?” Is breathed super quickly.

“Huh?” The brunette was just going to tell him not to say anything…

“In what way, I mean.” 

Kotetsu looked back at him with this painful wince, almost as if this conversation was like  _ torture, _ before looking away again. A hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck like always, eyes glancing back at the door in contemplation of whether or not he should make a run for it. “Well, not like a family member? I mean, if you asked me to marry you tomorrow I would but, uh-” 

The heart monitor picks up  _ a lot more than it did before.  _ It was enough for the both of them to look at it. Barnaby could feel his face being lit on fire, looking back at his partner who was  _ obviously  _ trying not to burst out laughing. He even went as far as to clamp a hand over his mouth.

Green eyes narrowed, just  _ daring  _ Kotetsu to let out one good ‘ha’. 

“Bunny?” Which sounds distorted from the giggling he’s trying to keep at bay. “You...You doin’ alright?” He covers his mouth again, his shoulders now visibly shaking. “Want me to get the nurse again?” Which is then followed by a snort or two.

“Weren’t you just leaving!?” 

“Just to get you some water!” 

“Then go make yourself useful!” 

This breaks the very fragile and already cracking wall that kept all of Kotetsu’s amusement in (as well as large amounts of relief). His laugh is goofy, and admittedly  _ endearing  _ if Barnaby was being honest, but insulting all the same. “Maybe some hydration will help you calm down, so don’t mind if I do! You just sit back and  _ relax!” _ The last word fades into this breathless wheeze that starts it up all over again, and it’s enough to make him keel over. But, he forces himself to quiet down as he leaves the room. 

If Barnaby had anything to throw at him, he would have. 

At least his heart rate is going back down…

_ But that doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.  _

He heaves a sigh, rubbing his hands over his face. His mind is trying to figure out whether or not he was more happy than embarrassed. Really? The number one cool and collected hero defeated by a heart monitor because of some words? Well, they weren’t  _ just  _ words but- 

_ He’s so happy.  _

So much so, he’s not entirely sure what to do. This is definitely a first...

“That was fast.” The blonde laments when his partner returns. 

“Vending machine’s nearby.” Kotetsu answers with this shitty grin on his face that Barnaby wanted to wipe right off, and was more tempted to do so as he approached. “Here’s your water,” He offers the plastic bottle like a waiter which Barnaby doesn’t accept it with the same kindness. “And I’d marry you tomorrow.” 

Amber eyes excitedly look at the heart monitor- 

And nothing happens? 

“Hmph.” Barnaby huffs confidently as he tears off the cap and takes a sip with a ‘serves you right!’ glance. 

This was definitely a one time thing! First confession are always the most intense, so he should be fine now!

“I love you.” 

_ Right?  _

The incessant beeping picks up  _ yet again,  _ which results in raucous snickering that wasn’t as intense. “That’s  _ never  _ gonna get old.” This was, by far, the cutest thing he’s ever witnessed. 

“Too bad you already are.” Barnaby meanly hums before taking a few more sips. The coldness on his throat was heavenly. 

Pretending he didn’t hear that, “You think if I say it enough times, the nurses will come in here with a crash cart?” 

“I don’t even know  _ how  _ I stand you. Let alone love you too.” 

“Well, I’d tell you to take a seat then but you’re already doing that.” 

“Kotetsu, I swear to G-d...” He warns through a few breathless chuckles. “Why is that funny? You’re jokes suck!” 

A lazy wave of fatigue washes over Barnaby; the meds are kicking in. This is honestly what he _hated_ about the hospital or medicine in general: all the _sleeping._ He can only imagine all the time being wasted because of it, and maybe these are feelings left over from his tireless Jake Martinez search. Silently, a pale hand holds the cold water bottle out for his partner to take and put on the nearest table for the night. Once it’s taken from him, he leans back into the pillows, reaches over to the control panel, and eases himself back.

“Gonna sleep?” 

“Mmhm.” 

“I’ll go close the curtains.” He quickly moves to the other side of the bed and quickly yanks the heavy fabrics together. 

“When you’re done, take off your shoes.” 

Kotetsu looks back at him, brows furrowed in confusion. “Why?” 

“So you can get in bed with me, obviously.”

_ “Yeah,  _ I think those are the drugs talking.” He breathes.

“They’re not. They don’t impair my judgement now get in the damn bed.” 

_ “...Yes, sir.” _ Is mumbled as oxfords are being toed off, and for the first time in a while, Barnaby isn’t sure whether or not it’s sarcastic.

As soon as Kotetsu’s weight dipped into the mattress, his shoulder was being pulled. When the brunette complies and faces his partner, the front of his shirt is grabbed and bunched into a tight fist. Kotetsu finds himself almost nose to nose with Barnaby, barely has time to prepare himself before the distance is closed. 

The older man doesn’t know why, but it felt  _ electric.  _ Maybe it was because this was his first kiss in years? And it was with the person who he thought he had an unrequited love with. It felt nice, nothing  _ too  _ crazy, no tongue or anything. It was sweet, chaste even. 

Kotetsu starts laughing into the kiss when he hears the heart monitor go up again. It’s all ‘ha-ha, let’s laugh at Bunny’ until he feels a tongue touch his lip. He squeaks in surprise and pulls away- he doesn’t even  _ remember _ the last time he was French kissed. Now  _ he’s  _ being laughed at, looking down at the confident smirk that he has a love/hate relationship with. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that…” Barnaby admits, looking at Kotetsu like he’s this beautiful star that the older man knows he isn’t. He’s obviously  _ very  _ sleepy at the moment. 

Kotetsu feels his face heat up and was glad that the dimness of the room and his tan skin was enough to hide it. “M-Me too.” He almost felt like his head was spinning, and was thinking that he might want to pinch himself. 

But, he doesn’t. He just settles down in the bed, laying on his side facing his partner. He feels an arm pull him in closer to where he’s now squished into Barnaby’s side. He doesn’t mind! Hell no! In fact, he even snuggles a little closer! He also doesn’t mind that a firm shoulder and a part of a chest were his pillow for the night. 

Barnaby kisses the top of his new lover’s head before finally letting the painkillers lull him off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> don't ask me why this was seven pages. i don't know either.


End file.
